As expected, at today’s Computex 2011 event, Asus has officially unveiled its latest and innovative Padfone tablet, which is an interesting smartphone/tablet hybrid. Yes! The concept of the Padfone is actually about combining two devices into one. It features a combined 4.3-inch screen smartphone and a 10.1-inch tablet dock. It’s a convertible tablet that encloses the smartphone. The 10.1-inch tablet acts as a dock altogether hiding the 4.3-inch smartphone within, and the tablet also serves to charge the phone from its auxiliary battery, while taking the advantage of its data connection.
The software and hardware details of the Padfone are pretty scarce now. Asus hasn’t clarified about what version of Android will power the devices. Asus has promised that the very latest version of Android will be pre-installed at the launch time. The recently unveiled IceCream Sandwich (Android 3.4) might be be filled on Asus Padfone, as the Android Ice Cream OS is combination of Android’s phone and tablet interface experience.
Though the hybrid device has been officially announced, there are still few questions that are to be answered like "Can we receive an incoming call on the tablet when the phone is docked?". There are also speculations circling around that the Asus Padfone will be having a Asus Eee pad Transformer dock port, which means that it could hook-up to an extra keyboard as well.
Note: Please note that the screen sizes haven’t been finalized yet. Asus used a 4.3" screen for the phone to a 10.1" display on the tablet section for demonstrating the the concept of Padfone. The dimensions may vary from the ones you’ll see on shelves.
Price & Availability
Asus hasn’t yet confirmed the price details and the launch details of Asus Padfone. According to various tech blogs, it is expected to be shipping around around this Christmas season. Check out the videos and more images after the break.
